Street artist Heesco has created a Mongolian wilderness-inspired mural in the heart of Dandenong. Heesco Khosnaran, who has also done commissioned work for UberEats, Visit Victoria, and Attica, said he was honoured to create the piece for the Dandenong Market’s King Street facade.

Heesco — who came to Australia from Mongolia when he was 20 — said wolves played an important role in the Mongolian creation story — that the union of a wolf and a doe in the Siberian woods created humanity.

“There is an interesting relationship between people and wolves, one hand it’s like a spirit animal“ he said. “Because it was a nomadic culture people had to learn to live with wolves, they maintained a natural balance. At the same time, people always had to fight off wolves. “In the 13th century when the empire was growing they were successful because the military techniques they brought into battle … were hunting methods for wolves.”

Dandenong Market is planning to install up to 15 large-scale artworks by 2019.